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Friday, April 24, 2015

Keeping sane during busy seasons

Here's a few tips on how to stay sane when things get busy:

1) Control your email. You're in charge of your inbox, not the other way round. The busier I am, the more I limit my access to email. I know it feels like you're doing more when you respond to everything as soon as it comes in, but the reality is you're interrupting more important work.

2) Realize when a "B" job is going to be just as sufficient as an "A+". I'm sure most teachers cringe at this idea, but the reality is that I could give a "C-" effort in lawn care this summer, and everything is going to be okay. There are plenty of places to put your best effort, and you should do so in those places. But you don't need to put your best effort everywhere, and saving yourself for what counts is important.

3) Similar to #2, recognize when things can be deferred until after the busy season. You need to become an expert in realizing what needs to get done NOW and what, while still important, can wait until next month.

4) Keep a sabbath and guard family time. This will probably mean hiding your phone and computer when you're at home. When you're at work, work hard. You may even need to put in extra time during a busy run. But when you're away from work, leave it!